A Rite of Passage
by QueenRiley
Summary: Chad spends some quality time with Ryan's mother.  Chad/Ryan fluff, rated T to be on the safe side for boy on boy kissing.


Life was good for Ryan. He had friends other than his sister for the first time ever. He got to hang out, go to movies, eat junk food. He got invited to ball games and birthday parties. He was even invited for weekly brownie nights at Gabriella's house. Senior year was starting in just a few weeks and things were very different for him. He might even try out for the baseball team this year, if Chad could talk him into it. Best of all, he was starting the year with a probably not-boyfriend. They may not have made anything official and maybe Chad hadn't come out of the closet yet, but if their private "dance" lessons and constant need to be around each other meant anything, Chad was definitely not straight. The dance lessons didn't always end up in make-out sessions, but he'd be lying if he said they didn't usually end in some kissing. Maybe they weren't dating, maybe they hadn't told anybody else yet, but there was some kissing and some groping and maybe, just maybe, it would eventually lead to something else. Ryan was happy to play friends-with-benefits for the time being, but he didn't want to pine for Chad forever, nor did he want to be the secret not-boyfriend for an outwardly straight man.

Ryan was definitely in a good mood tonight and he wouldn't let a little introspection ruin that. He twirled his ducky keychain between his fingers as he sauntered through the front door of his house, lost in thoughts of Chad. He was all Ryan seemed to think about anymore. He was so lost in thought he didn't notice the eerie light in the living room until he'd walked past it to the front staircase to head to his room.

"Oh, Ducky! There you are!" a woman's voice called from the darkened room. Ryan turned, a huge grin on his face.

"Mom! You're home tonight?" he asked, reaching out to give his mother a big hug. There was nobody in the world better than his mother.

"Yes, I left Daddy with some business meetings to come see my children, but I get home and find neither of you are here! I was hoping to plan a certain special birthday party, with the help of my master planners of course. Luckily I ended up with some company or it'd have been dreadfully boring. We've been waiting for you to come home." With her arm across his shoulder, she steered him into the living room and he realized what the eerie light was. The tv was on and something was paused, but he couldn't tell what it was. Sitting on the sofa, however, was a very familiar poof of curly hair.

"Chad, what are you doing here?" Ryan squeaked. Chad had been sitting in the living room with his mother? No good could come of this.

"I came over because I thought we were going to have another dance lesson tonight. I guess I was early. I tried to call…" Chad looked a little uncomfortable. He beckoned Ryan over with a pleading look and Ryan complied, sitting between his mother and Chad.

"I thought we didn't have another lesson until Tuesday?" Chad blinked.

"Dude, it is Tuesday."

"It is? Sorry. I guess I lost a day in there." Ryan mumbled.

"Oh don't be sorry, Ducky! It gave Chad and I a chance to get to know each other a little better. I don't know any of your friends. We must remedy this, especially if they are all as charming as this young man!" She beamed at Chad.

"Mom, you've met him before. He caddied for you once at the beginning of summer."

"Have I? Well goodness, color me embarrassed! My apologies." She reached across her son to pat Chad's knee.

"It's okay. It was only once." Chad shifted uncomfortably.

"Ducky, I was just telling Chad ALL about your childhood!" His mother ruffled his hair affectionately, knocking his hat even further askew.

"Complete with videos." Chad added through a forced smile. Ryan blushed. How cliché was this? His mother was embarrassing him in front of his not-boyfriend. He never thought he'd have to go through this. He loved his mother, dearly, and very little she did could embarrass him, but to show Chad videos? Oh geez, what was she showing him? His mother had practically his entire early childhood on video.

"We haven't been here long, Ducky. You're just in time. I was just telling Chad about your start in performing. I was showing him your first ever talent show, the only one without Kitten." She turned her attention to Chad again, looking past her son and purposely not seeing his mortified expression. "He was four years old and he begged me to allow him to perform. He'd been working so hard and he turned those big blue eyes on me and I just couldn't say no! You see, Chad, Ducky was the one to start them on the path to theatrical success. He performed in our Rhode Island country club Winter Musicale Spectacular. When Pumpkin saw the attention he received, well she just couldn't resist either! The stage loves them both. Princess loves the competition and attention. Ducky loves the singing and dancing. He was born dancing, my little Ducky! I should find the videos their nanny took when he was a toddler. He used to run around in his sister's dresses singing and dancing. He's so precious, isn't he?" Ryan sunk into the couch a little more as his mother hit play. A grainy video of a tiny little blond boy started again.

"Born dancing, Ducky?" Chad whispered in his ear and ruffled his hair, just as his mother had done when he sat down. He was being mocked, but at least there was warm affection behind Chad's eyes. Ryan fixed his hat once again, but was pleased to note Chad did not move his hand. He could still feel his fingers brush against the nape of his neck as his arm lay casually across the back of the Italian leather sofa. He relaxed as the fingers occasionally twirled his hair.

On the overly large television, Ryan watched as his four year old self grabbed the microphone and nodded to the side for the music to begin. He looked so small in his tiny little black slacks and powder blue button down shirt with the mic clutched tightly between his two little hands. Even at four, a hat was ever present. His choice at this time was a slick black fedora. The little stage for the show practically swallowed him whole. The tiny little boy opened his mouth and out came the most beautiful sound. He belted out, with all his heart, a stirring rendition of Never, Never Land from Peter Pan. The audience went wild and Ryan Evans, four years old, won his first talent show, much to the chagrin of his adult competitors. The 17 year old Ryan Evans, however, was quickly turning a deep shade of scarlet as the tape played on.

"Very good, Mom, thank you. Chad and I really should go rehearse now, though." He tried to sit up but Chad quickly grabbed the collar of his shirt and pulled him back.

"Not yet, Ducky. I believe your mother said something about toddler videos? In dresses?" He was smirking. Ryan was mortified.

"Sharpay used to play dress up with me. I was little and you know my sister, she's overbearing! I didn't know any better!" he exclaimed. Chad just smiled and winked. Ryan buried his head in his hands while his mother dug out a stack of videos, babbling the whole time about her darling boy. Ryan turned new shades of red as his mother went into great detail her difficulty conceiving and the treatments it took to finally get Ryan and Sharpay, their painful and long birth, his obsession with all musicals even as a small child, and how blessed she was to have two such talented children. He didn't think it could get much worse, but his mother had never before failed to exceed his expectations. He knew this would be no exception.

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They sat through another half hour of embarrassing videos on Ryan and Sharpay as small children, complete with dresses and precisely choreographed show tunes right down to his comical performance of I Enjoy Being a Girl from Flower Drum Song at the age of 6, before his mother let them leave the living room. She stopped Ryan at the doorway.

"Don't fret, Ducky. It's a rite of passage. Every mother must embarrass her son with childhood stories in front of his first boyfriend."

"Chad isn't, we aren't, I mean, he's not. What?" he stammered. His mother chuckled and pulled him close.

"It's okay, Baby. I love you, no matter what. Now go have a good dance lesson. He's waiting for you." She whispered in his ear. He hugged her tight and kissed her cheek before chasing after Chad.

He found him sitting on the floor of the empty studio in the back of the house. There was one Chad in the middle of the room, but the mirrors surrounding him made it seem as if there were twenty. He was leaning back on his hands with his legs stretched out in front of him. If Ryan hadn't already fallen for him, that pose alone would have done it. He was instantly hard, something Chad managed to make him accomplish with startling frequency.

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"Ducky?" Chad asked with raised eyebrows.

"Yes Ducky. It's been my nickname since forever. It's a term of endearment for us. She never calls me Ryan, always Ducky. Got a problem with it?" he asked, eyes narrowed. Chad shook his head and chuckled.

"I like your mother. She's nice. A little intimidating, but nice. I felt like she was interrogating me at first." Ryan smiled down at Chad.

"Yeah, she has that effect on people. She can be kind of ruthless, but she means well. She's the greatest." He stared into the mirrors, not focusing on anything, lost in thought. Chad snapped him out of his trance with an uncharacteristic giggle.

"You look cute in a dress, Evans." Ryan walked over and swatted him on the back of the head, but he wasn't sure it did any good. There was an awful lot of hair to cushion the blow. Chad reached a hand up for Ryan to grab and pull him to standing, which he did with some effort.

"Don't worry, Ry, my mom will probably do the same thing when I bring you home to meet her too. She's worse though. She's got bathtub pictures hanging on the WALL, man, right in the hallway! It's so embarrassing. She won't take them down though. Says it keeps me in check or something like that, I don't know." Ryan smiled.

"You want to take me home to meet your mother?" He asked, confused. Chad looked at him like he'd suddenly had a monster jump out of his chest.

"Yeah, duh. She's been dying to meet you. She says it's about time I brought my boyfriend home."

"Boyfriend?" Ryan asked, flashing a cocky grin.

"Yeah, I guess we are, right? Boyfriends, I mean. Y'know, if you want to be. I just… with all the kissing and stuff, I kind of figured, well maybe I'm not as straight as I thought. Kissing Taylor was good but kissing you is just awesome. You do things to me, Ryan. I might be a little gay. Or maybe I'm just gay for you. I don't know. But I definitely don't want to stop with the making out." He was inching closer to Ryan with every word.

"Definitely keep with the kissing." Ryan whispered. He couldn't say anything else, however, because Chad's lips were on his and he lost all ability to think of anything other than the boy currently driving him wild.

Yes, life was definitely good for Ryan Evans, embarrassing childhood dresses and all.


End file.
